Despite missing out on a return to the postseason, here’s a rundown of the top 10 moments of the 2018-19 season for the Miami Heat.
This is certainly not the way the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade anticipated the season ending.
Entering Wade’s final season, the Heat were confident that returning with the same cast that led them to 44 wins the season prior would be more than good enough to make a return to the postseason, especially with the departure of LeBron James to the Western Conference.
Instead, the Heat’s season never got going from the outset. While there were a number of factors contributing to their final record of 39-43, the ultimate killer for the Heat was their inability to complete their business at home. While they finished with a respectable 20-21 record on the road, their 19-22 record at American Airlines Arena was completely unacceptable.
Among these 22 home losses, nine were suffered at the hands of teams who finished the season with less than 40 wins, including the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns, who finished with less than 20.
On the flip side, there were certainly some signs of life moving forward. The early season form of Josh Richardson was clearly a highlight, whereby the fourth-year swingman averaged 20.5 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting from long range over the first 21 games the season. There was also the development of Justise Winslow as a floor general.
In the absence of Goran Dragic, Winslow produced by far the best form of his career, including a 10-game stretch in which he posted 16.4 points, 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game. While Dragic has a player option to return next season, the form of Winslow has certainly given the Heat additional options moving forward.
Furthermore, the gradual development of center Bam Adebayo was another highlight. Surpassing Hassan Whiteside as the regular starting center for the final 22 games of the season, Adebayo’s combination of versatility and incredible athleticism is bound to be invaluable for the Heat next season and beyond.
However, the lack of consistency over the course of the season was simply too much for the Heat to ultimately overcome, thus resulting in a longer offseason than initially hoped.
On a brighter note, here’s a countdown of the top 10 moments of their 2018-19 season.